Bird of Prey advice needed

[glojo]

This is the pesky varmit that bumps off my wild birds. I thought it might be a sparrow hawk but it has a perfectly plain, cream to white coloured front\chest. All the sparrowhawks I've seen have 'bars' across their chest, similar to the markings on this birds legs. I don't think it is a young bird as it has been a visitor for well over a month.

Thanks for any advice,
John

 

[andy_k]

looks like a male sparrowhawk to me John

 

[glojo]

looks like a male sparrowhawk to me John

Hi Andy,
Thanks very much for the reply,

That is my guess at present, but all the sparrowhawks I've previously seen have had stripes, or bars across their chest. This indvidual has a beautiful plain creamy white front with absolutely no lines, stripes etc?

Thanks for the reply and I am determined to get a better picture,

John

 

[WLeg]

air-rifle, shotgun ?

(goes and hides)

 

[Benzowner]

http://bmwsporttouring.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/530906/page/0/fpart/1/vc/1/nt/2 See the above link, your hawke problem is worldwide. Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds"

 

[GrahamC230K]

There must be a bird watching forum that can help! Can't say I have one in my favourites though.

 

[Steve_Perry]

There must be a bird watching forum that can help! Can't say I have one in my favourites though.

There's a joke in there somewhere

[Ahem] to go back on topic.

Great photograph John, is he/she at your place most days? I doubt there is much you can do to scare him off without scaring the rest of the bird population

S.

 

[Ian B Walker]

Buy a cat, a very big cat, something like a Cheetah would do nicely

 

[glojo]

You, you cruel heartless people!!! guns, cheetah's bazooka's.

Graham's advice is on the right track. I have looked up the address of a Bird of Prey Sanctuary and contacted them to ask permission to send a picture to get it identified.

The picture has now been posted and hopefully I will find out shortly. My gut feeling has always been with Andy's suggestion, it is simply the lack of bars, or stripes that has thrown me.

Magpies I will always hate, but strangely I just got upset when this bird killed right under my nose! am I a meat eating hypocrit or what?

Now what about a laser controlled alarm system thatwill only activate when a bird of prey is near?

Edit:

Many apologies Geoff2. What a beautiful picture. Thanks very much for the link. Looks like I more than met my match.

Thanks again,
John

 

[DITTRICH]

..maybe its like when people put heron statues by their garden pool to stop the herons intruding on the statue's territory (and eating the fish). A statue / mock-up of a bigger bird (which it might be afraid of?).
Rgds
Les

 

[glojo]

..maybe its like when people put heron statues by their garden pool to stop the herons intruding on the statue's territory (and eating the fish). A statue / mock-up of a bigger bird (which it might be afraid of?).
Rgds
Les

Hi Les,
I'm sure your right but the problem I have is pretty much self inflicted.

I have a bird feeder that attract wild birds. This in turn makes for easy pickings for a bird of prey. Last year we had a peregrine falcon hit a wood pigeon but it failed to kill it.

If I put a statuette of a bird of prey, then no wild birds would turn up!

Anyway the mystery is solved:.............................

******Dear John

Very definitely a sparrowhawk and by the thickness of the legs and the fact you say the chest was creamy colour a female. As the chest lacked the barring it was probably a young one. Sparrowhawks do have a barred tail but this can be difficult to see in certain lights. ***********

Perhaps Andy and I cannot tell the difference between Stork and butter? (That attempt at humour might not be understood by younger members??)

Back to the camera,

Regards to everyone on this really HOT day.

31 degree's in the shade yesterday!!!

John

 

[glojo]

'Mum' clearly put the word out about the easy pickings and today 'Dad' turned up and attacked a bird. Fortunately we rescued the sparrow THIS time! but what a beautiful bird!

 

[PJH]

Tried stuffing an old raincoat with straw ?

 

[DITTRICH]

http://www.rspb.org.uk/gardens/advice/deterrents/sparrowhawk_deterrents.asp

...seems reasonable
Les

 

[glojo]

http://www.rspb.org.uk/gardens/advice/deterrents/sparrowhawk_deterrents.asp

...seems reasonable
Les

Thanks Les,
It looks like even the RSPB are really tolerant of these birds.

If I am really honest with myself, then it is simply upsetting to see the hawk actually kill the bird, but we must all accept this is nature. What I cannot get used to is the horrible magpies, but then I suppose again it is nature, but they pinch baby birds and to me that's not right

I would NEVER bump off a bird of prey, but by crikey there is one pest I would bump off without loosing a wink of sleep.

Just figured it out Mag Pie = MP = Member of Parliament. It is obviously a freudian type connection

Thanks for the interesting link,
John

 

[PJH]

http://www.rspb.org.uk/gardens/advice/deterrents/sparrowhawk_deterrents.asp

...seems reasonable
Les

Bamboo canes on lawn to turn fast approach route into an obstacle course.

Seen something like that on TV from Crufts.

 

[DITTRICH]

...how about a very large perspex cube 2m x 2m x 2m with loads of little circular holes in it. Hang food inside. Little birdies can enter and feed. Sparrowhawk just goes splat cos its too big to get through the holes. Plenty of other holes for birdies to escape from...Do you have a conservatory???!!!
Les

 

[glojo]

...how about a very large perspex cube 2m x 2m x 2m with loads of little circular holes in it. Hang food inside. Little birdies can enter and feed. Sparrowhawk just goes splat cos its too big to get through the holes. Plenty of other holes for birdies to escape from...Do you have a conservatory???!!!
Les

Hi Les,
No conservatory, I lay on my bed and take pictures through the glass patio doors. The bird feeder we use is only big enough for small species, and is certainly sparrowhawk proof.

The greenfinch was bumped off whilst pecking at the grass underneath the feeder, and the sparrow was actually hit in mid flight!

Last year a pigeon was attacked by a peregrine just as it was flying over our garden??

I think it is simply me having the time to watch 'nature at work' We have always had a bird feeder and it looks like this year a sparrow hawk has simply got a nest nearby and we are on their flight path? The first picture I posted confused me because I had never seen a sparrow hawk without the stripes across its chest. I love my wildlife and the hawks are simply part of it. Wife got upset though when she thought the hawk was 'scoffing' one of our little mice!!

Thanks very much indeed for all your very contructive advice which I really appreciate (especially your link to the rspb comments)

Regards,
John